Though Elise had agreed with Braden not to meet Ruth for dinner after work, she hadn't exactly said Ruth couldn't come over to his place.
Braden stared at the clock on the wall, watching the seconds tick by. It had only been half an hour since Ruth showed up.
For the first time, he found himself thoroughly annoyed by her presence.
Ruth sat on the sofa watching TV, her voice laced with mischief as she asked, "You don't seem too happy to see me, do you?"
He shot her a cold look, his tone icy. "You're cleverer than you look."
"If I hadn't helped you, would you even have a chance with Elise?" Ruth snickered, "Burning your bridges is practically a phrase made just for you."
"Thank you," Elise laughed, her face lit up in happiness, completely contrasting with the stony expression on Baden's face.
Back then, she hadn't known how he felt about her, and she definitely hadn't had the nerve to say anything herself. They both treasured the friendship they'd had since childhood, worried that if things didn't work out romantically, they might lose even that.
So this thank you was from the heart—a genuine gratitude to Ruth for helping her find a beautiful love.
"Your happiness means a lot to me," Ruth said, grinning at Elise's blissful smile before casting a quick glance at Braden. "As for you? Not so much."
Just as Braden was about to respond, he glanced at his phone, and his worst nightmare appeared. His face darkened as he read the message, heading straight for the balcony to figure out how to handle this problem.
Elise, deep in conversation with Ruth, didn't notice his change in mood and kept chatting away.
Lowering her voice, Ruth pulled Elise close. "I noticed my brother's ring is on his left ring finger. Have you two officially registered?"
Elise shook her head, answering honestly, "No, we haven't. He just thinks we'll get married anyway, so he figured wearing it now wouldn't hurt."
She tossed out another question, "So, where's your ring?"
"I left it at home…" Elise exhaled, lowering her head. "I still feel a bit scared. I can tell Mylee really likes him. She used to smile at me, but now, she just looks at me like I'm her rival and doesn't even bother with a greeting."
"I know it's hard to ask you not to overthink, but the three of us have known each other since we were kids. You two don't just have love; you have a deep friendship, and that's something Mylee can't compete with." For once, Ruth was serious in her response.
"The more you like someone, the scarier it gets, I guess." Elise clasped her hands on her lap, her gaze filled with confusion. "When you're alone, nothing really feels that scary. But when you give someone your heart, every feeling—whether it's joy or sadness—just starts to follow them. That's how I feel right now."
"Then why don't you just trick him into marriage!" Ruth suggested mischievously, pointing to Elise's stomach. "Or… you know, this."
Elise's face flushed immediately, her earlier worries momentarily forgotten. "When did you get so bold? You don't even sound like yourself anymore."
"Heh, because I already made up my mind to score a big gift from him. I mean, come on, I'm basically your matchmaker! Remember that night you got totally wasted and cried your eyes out? I called him, told him to come over and cheer you up." Ruth chuckled at the memory. "I even said I'd help you find someone better, and he dropped everything to get there! Isn't that wild?"
Elise stared in shock. She knew she'd been drunk that night, but she had no idea Ruth had called him.
Hearing it now, she finally realized just how much Braden cared for her, loved her even. The worries weighing on her heart suddenly felt much lighter.
"So…" Ruth finally revealed her true goal. "Make sure you get your brother to give me a matchmaker's gift."
Elise snapped back to reality, laughing with genuine happiness. "Alright, I promise."
An hour later, Ruth decided to leave Baden's place to catch up on her TV drama, despite Elise insisting she could watch it there. Ruth was resolute in her refusal.
Please, she had no interest in being the third wheel!
Elise was sitting alone in the living room, feeling a bit bored. She got up and walked to Baden's room, only to find it empty. She continued to the balcony—and there he was.
The moment he saw her, he quickly put his phone away, brushing off the previous gloom and flashing her the smile he always reserved for her.
"Finished talking?" He walked over to her, gently touching her cheek.
"Yeah, she's heading home to watch TV." Elise looked at him with curiosity. "What are you doing out here?"
Instead of answering, he opened his arms and pulled her into a hug. "Nothing much, just talking about work."
She asked, a bit puzzled, "Is everything okay with you?"
"No." He held her even tighter. "I was just… thinking of you."
"But I'm right here," she replied, sensing something was off with him, and a slight worry crept into her heart.
"I…" His voice turned low, the smile fading from his face. "I don't know, it just feels like if I look away for a second, you might disappear."
"You're that afraid of losing me?" She laughed, though she still didn't fully understand what was bothering him.
"Why wouldn't I be?" He didn't hesitate to talk about his love for her. "I love you more than you could ever imagine… so, yeah, I don't want to lose you."
"I love you too." She thought of their conversation at work earlier that day. "Starting tomorrow, I'll wear the ring, so you can see it every day. I cherish you just as much."
"Really?" The anxiety that had been simmering within him seemed to ease, as if all his worries were finally being soothed.
"Yes." She gently pushed him back, rising on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek, leaving a faint lipstick mark. "Now my mark is on you. That means you're mine."
He chuckled. "Only one kiss?"
She stepped back to stand flat on her feet. "What else?"
She acted casual, but inside, her heart was racing.
Without a word, he lowered his head, cupping her slightly flushed cheeks, and pressed his lips against hers, deep and tender. He wanted to savor her presence, to capture her love with each lingering kiss.
He wanted to truly have her, to feel the proof of her love in every embrace.
Maybe, with her love, the nightmares would trouble him less.
He deepened the kiss, leaving her almost unsteady on her feet. He held her slim waist tighter, wanting to pull her even closer, wanting never to let her go.
"Mmm…" She couldn't hold back a soft murmur, feeling lightheaded from his kiss.
He let his lips drift away from hers, moving down to kiss her neck.
"Wait…" She wanted to resist, but she couldn't deny his passion.
